Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

Hey all,
I took my Clipper on the highway for the first time today. The overdrive doesnt work yet (wiring issue, I'm sure)so I kept it under 50. It did fine in town, and up the big hill before the highway, and even on the highway going into the next town. But then on the way back home it started to cut out really bad as soon as I got back up to 45-50, and BAD going back up the hill into town.

Could this be a carb issue, or maybe the fuel pump is starting to go? I would greatly appriciate some help on this one. Thanks a million!!!!

Was it missing or skipping? If so sounds like the time my coil was giving out after getting hot. Idled fine but missed under load.

That sounds about right. It's fine idling, and ok thru first. Now its doing it even when I go into second. As soon as I shift and give it gas there's no power and I have to pull off the road.

You might disconnect the wire from the coil at the kickdown switch just to make sure that a defective kickdown switch isn't causing the problem.

M.

Has the car had a recent, A to Z tune-up? With modern cars essentially never needing a tune-up, younger folks encountering older cars don't realize that a tune-up every 10,000 miles and pretty much a standard practice. If your car hasn't had one, that's where I'd start.

A comprehensive tune-up might include cleaning battery terminals including the ground, new plugs, points, condenser, rotor, cap, perhaps plug wires. And cleaned or replaced gas filters and screens, fuel pump pressure check, air filter cleaned and reoiled, manifold vacuum check, compression test. There are some very good guidelines of what a comprehensive tune-up should include in some of the older auto service books like Motors.

After that, atleast when you do have a problem you know what it isn't.

You mentioned the fuel pump and if still the original and not been touched that would be a good place to start. New gas can do a job on the old rubber and the valves can harden and not function well--if at all.

The rubber hose connecting the steel gas line on frame to fuel pump is also suspect. If that has gotten hard and inside lining cracked, a chunk can get caught in the flow and flex under the suction of a fast engine and act like a valve restricting the fuel.

If the tank was not taken off and cleaned, there might be some debris floating or rolling around and getting sucked into the pickup. That has been reported as a problem by many and also a clogged air vent hole in the gas cap.

There is a screen that can clog. The bottom can on the fuel pump is a reservoir of sorts and there are either mesh screens or a bunch of plates stacked together which act as a screen. Any chunks of rust in tank or line can lodge there and block things.

If you have the ceramic fuel filter near carb, those can get clogged very easily with tiny almost microscopic bits of rust. If the gas sat in one and evaporated, the varnish can also clog those so they pass air but not enough fuel. The engine runs fine at idle but get it going much faster and it acts much as you describe.

sounds like a fuel issue-filter? Pump?

All pretty new tune-up stuff. My only other running car is a '70 Bug, so i know a thing or two about regular maintenance. LOL

I'm thinkin carb now, as I haven't done a full rebuild. I took it apart and dipped it, but used old gaskets (not used gaskets, just old ones that were on the shelf) maybe they were a little too old. Fuel filters and fuel lines are all new, and the tank was dropped and cleaned about a 2 years ago. Also, I'm running NOS Packard ignition wires.... Perhaps that could be a contributing factor? I'll get a NEW new rebuild kit and see how it goes...

This is a long shot, but I had the same problem recently. Turned out the trouble was due to a failing voltage regulator. The unit just wasn't putting out enough juice to charge the battery properly.

My auto electric expert tells me that these 6-volt voltage regulators can--and do--fail more frequently than you expect.

All the best and good luck,

Mark

I kind of doubt it's generator/regulator related. But here's another long shot which I've encountered a couple of times over the years. If the pick-up tube in the gas tank is near the front of the tank (front of the car) and the bottome end of it has perforated or rusted off and the tank wasn't sufficiently full, the fuel would run to the back of the tank on a hill and the pickup would begin to starve for gasoline.